Becoming an Irish Traditional Musician: Learning and Embodying Musical Culture

Coupling the narratives of twenty-two Irish traditional musicians alongside intensive field research, Becoming an Irish Traditional Musician explores the rich and diverse ways traditional musicians hone their craft. It details the educational benefits and challenges associated with each learning practice, outlining the motivations and obstacles learners experience during musical development. By exploring learning from the point of view of the learners themselves, the author provides new insights into modern Irish traditional music culture and how people begin to embody a musical tradition. This book charts the journey of becoming an Irish traditional musician and explores how musicality is learned, developed, and embodied.

Dr Jessica Cawley is an active performer, educator, and researcher in the area of Irish traditional music and music education. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the University of New Hampshire (2006), an MA in Ethnomusicology from the University of Limerick (2008), and a PhD from University College Cork (2013). She established the non-profit organization Creative Tradition in 2013, where she currently teaches traditional music in schools and in the community in partnership with Music Generation.